Over 1.3 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy Amarnath cave shrine in just six days of the annual pilgrimage, with cumulative footfalls officially surpassing 1.3 lakh devotees. The 57-day annual pilgrimage began on July 3, 2026, and is scheduled to conclude on August 28. Devotees are trekking to the 3,880-metre-high Himalayan shrine via the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route and the shorter 14-km Baltal route.
The Yatra started on both traditional treks — from Nunwan in Pahalgam and Baltal in Sonamarg — with pilgrims chanting religious hymns on their way to the cave shrine.
As per official numbers, nearly 53,000 pilgrims from across the country visited the shrine in ten separate batches from Pahalgam and Sonamarg. The Yatris, after performing darshan, started their return journey towards their respective base camps, reports said.
While a seventh batch of over 9,000 Yatris started their journey to the holy cave, an eighth batch of over 8,000 pilgrims is expected to reach the base camp in the afternoon today.
With the departure of 8,000 pilgrims today, a total of around 53,000 Yatris have left Jammu for Kashmir since Friday.
The authorities have put in place multi-layered security arrangements along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and the twin tracks of Baltal and Pahalgam, as well as the holy cave, for the safe and smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.
A multi-pronged security setup has been put in place in and around Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas and at the Tawi river-front where Tatkal registration of pilgrims and token distribution is underway.
“No pilgrim will be permitted to travel before their registered date.”
Also read: Over 85,000 devotees pay obeisance at Amarnath Shrine in 4 days
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